Holding on and Letting go
by charmingsmills
Summary: Cora uses a spell on Snow to make her tell her the secret, so Regina doesn't hate Snow; they build a strong family bond, yet Regina ends up becoming the Evil Queen. How?
1. Holding on

**Hello everyone! I don't even remember how this idea came up to me, I have it written for months, so now that I'm finally free of exams and college (I think and I hope so) why don't post it?**

 **Had this first chapter written for months like I said, and I just wrote the second chapter, so I'm excited about this story. It's not gonna be a long story, since I've got everything already planned out, but if you have anything in mind you'd like to see, don't hesitate to tell me!**

* * *

Regina sighed in frustration to see that the small fireball that she was trying to conjure up wasn't any close to showing up. She'd been taking classes from Rumple for more than two weeks, and she still couldn't make a fireball.

She knew she had to let the dark thoughts get under her skin, but it wasn't that easy. Most of time, her thoughts would be sad ones, not enough to be angry ones.

The young Queen closed her eyes and focused her mind in only one person.

An image of her mother ripping Daniel's heart out made her have _that_ feeling again. The feeling of wanting to have her mother's throat in her hands to crush it just like she did with Daniel's heart.

Regina's eyes opened and a small smirk curved her lips to see sparks above her hand. It was working.

"Regina?" Snow's voice echoed in the room as the Queen quickly dropped her hand and turned around, forcing a smile on her face as the princess ran into her room. "I'd been searching for you everywhere!"

"Well, here I am. What's wrong?"

"Can we go ride?" Snow's face light up as she put her hands in front of her, in some kind of begging position. "Please, you promised!" Only then, she added a pout in her face, also giving her the best puppy's eyes she could have.

Regina rolled her eyes and chuckled. "You're right, I promised. Okay then, let's go."

The ten year old clapped and went over to her to take her hand. Both of them got out of the room and started walking down the hall, Snow chattering up about everything she did in the day. Most of time, Regina would listen to every word, but now she knew them by heart; it was only the girl that didn't seem to realize that their days were always the same.

And if there was something new that happened to her, she'd scream it to her out of excitement.

Now, while they were walking down the starts, Regina took a deep breath. It was never easy to go to the stables. Mostly with Snow White.

The girl did warm her heart up whenever she could, but sometimes it wasn't enough. The pain of seeing her mother taking Daniel's heart right in front of her eyes was still so fresh. It would always be.

And going with Snow only added more pain, knowing that the princess didn't have any fault in any of this, but she had. Regina could always feel the guilt overcome to her, thinking that she should have been with Snow all that day; she should have been there knowing that her mother would try something. And indeed she did.

She put a spell on Snow for her to tell her any secret that she could have. Out of all the innocent secrets that the princess had, there was the one that her mother was trying to find out. Of course Snow didn't remember any of it; she wasn't conscious, it wasn't her fault, at all.

It was all her mother's. And she hated her more than anything because of that. Lucky for her, she took care of her.

"Regina, you're not listening to me!" Snow complained, pulling her hand. The Queen quickly got out of her thoughts and looked down at the girl. "I finally convinced Father to let me take archery lessons, isn't that amazing?"

Regina smiled at her and nodded, pulling an arm around the young girl's shoulders. "I'm not very surprised, though. You always get whatever you want out of your father, young lady."

Snow giggled and incredibly, stayed silent all the way till the stables. She must have noticed that she needed some silence.

Regina was grateful that Snow was getting those manners; she'd been a very spoiled girl the last weeks, but since she sat her down and told her that she needed to behave like a princess would, the girl got better. She was still spoiled by her father, sometimes maybe by her, but any princess was. There were worse spoiled princess than Snow, much like Abigail.

She smiled at the memory of Snow meeting the princess and clearly disliking her for her actitude with everyone that wasn't royal, and even with some of them. After that, Snow realized that she couldn't be like that girl; she didn't want to treat anyone like she did, and she didn't want anyone to look at her like she was such a brat.

Which sometimes people looked at her like that, but those days were long gone. Or so she hoped.

Regina wanted to get quickly on the horse, only then she could get as far as possible from the stables. Snow followed her close, sitting just in front of her. No matter how many times Regina told her that she would be an excellent rider if she only let go of the fears of it, Snow still wanted to ride with her.

The princess was pretty stubborn, though.

"Oh, Regina, look!" Snow pointed foward; Regina could imagine the big smile on her face to see so many birds flying around the trees that were meters from them. "Can we go to there? Please?"

Regina looked back as Rocinante started to hurry up; they were going far from the stables, but that was what she needed. In a matter of minutes, Snow was jumping off her horse and running to the birds, that were like waiting for her, flying only inches above from the ground.

The Queen guided Rocinante to a near tree and tied his reins to it. "Oh, so it is true what everyone says." Regina was startled to hear a voice that she knew she shouldn't be hearing. Not now. She turned around to find Rumple smirking at her. "She really is the fairest of them all."

She didn't even have to follow his eyes, but she did to be sure that Snow didn't notice his prensece. Of course she didn't. She was too busy looking and caressing the birds.

Brown eyes looked foward again, finding shiny, brown ones. "What are you doing here?" She tried to sound strong and dark, but it wasn't anything more than only a whisper, knowing that Snow wasn't very far from them.

"Well, I have a lot of free time, and figured I could stop by and give you a visit."

"I don't need –"

But she was cut off by her stepdaughter's piercing voice. "Regina!" She turned around to find her running back at her, her green eyes lying on the man in front of them. "Oh…"

"Hello there, Snow White. I'm glad we finally met."

Snow frowned slightly, looked at her, and then back at Rumple. "How do you know my name?"

"Who doesn't? Aren't you the princess? The fairest of them all?"

Snow's frown went deeper, but after seconds, she giggled and shook her head. "I'm not the fairest of them all. That's Regina."

The young girl looked at her with a smile, and Regina tried her best to give her a smile. Rumple was trying to get in her nerves, for a reason that she didn't quite understand, but she couldn't let him. "Oh, Snow, he is…"

"Rumplestiltskin." He bent down to her a little bit, just like he always did, and gave her those funny giggles of him. "Do you like the birds, Snow White?"

To the mention of her favorite animals, Snow's smile got wider. "Oh, yes. I can actually –" Regina sent her a glare, which Snow quickly got so her mouth went completely shut. "I – yes, I like them a lot."

Regina specifically told her that she couldn't go telling everyone that she could understand animals, hearing them talk to her; that was some kind of magic that Regina couldn't still figure out, but she knew that magic was a topic that a few people liked. Only the closest servants, the King and she knew about Snow's ability.

Her father didn't want people to look at his daughter like she was different. Regina didn't see any harm in that; she only understood animals, it wasn't dark magic. Nothing like what she was taking lessons to do from that man in front of them.

"He's got lost, and I was telling where he had to go." Regina finally said after the awkward silence. Why did Rumple even want to know if Snow liked the birds? Everyone in the kingdom knew about Snow's love for animals.

"Oh, all right… it was nice to meet you, Rumpl – Rumplestilshin –"

If she wasn't so nervous, Regina would have laughed, but she only nodded at her, letting her know that it was okay.

"Rumple it's okay, dearie, don't worry."

Snow gave him a polite smile and ran back to the birds. Regina let out a long sigh, one that she _did_ know that she was holding, and turned around to look at Rumple again. "What the hell was that?"

"Adjusting to dark magic, I see?" He only chuckled, his shinny eyes going back to the girl behind her; probably playing with the animals. "You're getting too attached to that girl, I must say."

"She's my stepdaughter."

"She's the reason your stable boy is dead."

Regina's eyes narrowed at that, confusion showing all over her face. What the hell was Rumple trying to do? Put her against Snow? That made no sense, but that was _exactly_ what he was trying to do.

"No, she's not. My mother used a spell on her. You know that; you taught her."

"That I did, like I'm teaching _you_. And dark magic isn't for weak persons."

"I'm not weak." It was her automatically response. Love was weakness, that was what her mother taught her, but she liked to think otherwise.

Her love for Daniel wasn't weakness. The love she'd been building for Snow wasn't weakness. Love was just not weakness.

"As you say, Your Majesty."

Regina's face must have showed all the disgust she was feeling for him, because he only giggled at her and disappeared in a purple smoke. She quickly turned around to find that Snow was unaware to all of this, and let out a sigh of relief for it.

Green eyes looked up at her, as a frown appeared on the princess' face. "Is he gone already?"

"Oh, yes. He found the path he was looking for."

Snow smiled at that; always believing in good things. She walked up to her and looked behind her, shrugging. "He was strange. His skin was… different, as his eyes were. He had a funny voice, though. But still… he made me a little umconfortable."

"He did?" Regina's eyebrows went up, taking a hand to Snow's black curls.

Snow shrugged once again. "He looked like an imp from my books."

Regina actually laughed at that. Such a wonderful nickname. She nodded at her stepdaughter's confused face and took her hand, starting to lead her to Rocinante. "I think that's a perfect description of him. Imp. He really looks like one."

Both of them laughed at that, and soon enough they were in the castle again. Still, when the next day came, and Regina went to have lessons with Rumple, he didn't answer any question.

" _What were you up to?"_

" _What do you have such insterest in her?"_

" _Why did you ask her about birds? I know there's a reason behind it."_

" _What were you up to?!"_

He cut her off by disappearing, not before telling her that when she wanted to do magic, he'd come. She was left alone in the woods, angry, frustrated, and not knowing what else expect from this man.

One thing she knew for sure; she wasn't going to let him get near Snow.

* * *

She didn't expect this day to ever come, but she should have imagined.

Snow was staring at her, in shock, whilst she did the same. Both of them shocked for different and same reasons.

She'd been practicing her magic; fireballs were the smallest thing she could, but she liked to do them in her free time. Taking hearts out while Snow or the King were in the castle wasn't fun; she had to worry for any of them to realize in the moment that there was a guard missing.

Dark magic was consuming every part of her. Except one.

The thirteen year old girl standing in front of her.

She was conjuring fireballs and throwing them against the wall; she was so angry for some reason that she didn't know. She stopped trying to look for a reason after a year that she embraced the dark magic inside her. But now she had to make up a reason to tell the shocking princess in front of her.

She wasn't going to use a spell on her so she could forget. No.

"You – you were doing magic?" Were the first words that came out from Snow's mouth. She swallowed and put her hands in her lap, taking a little breath. "Yes, you were."

She hated when Snow would run into her room. Three years passed, and the girl still didn't learn the lesson. Maybe she would now.

"Snow, no one can know about this."

"But – why – why were you throwing fireballs? How do you do it? Since when? Wait… are you a witch?"

"No!" It was her first reaction to jump off her chair, which made Snow jump. Was she afraid of her? "I – I just can do magic, just like my mother. You told me you saw her once."

"Yes, but I never believed that you… what she did seemed to be a different… magic."

"Dark magic, yes. She did dark magic…" _Like mother, like daughter._ "That's why I banished her from this land. I couldn't stand her magic any longer."

Or her for all that matter.

"Dark magic?" Green eyes's grew wide, her mouth opening a little bit, showing how shocked she was. "But – but what you do… it's not dark magic, right?"

"Of course not."

She hated lying. She really hated lying to Snow, but she gave her no chance. Still, Snow kept confused.

"But I do have magic. I've inherited it from Cora, and I never wanted it, so I had to keep it for myself. No one can know about this, Snow. You know what your father thinks about magic; he hates it. He can see me as a witch…"

"He would never." Snow quickly interrupted her, her eyes growing even wider to the implication that her father could hurt her. Oh, if she only knew. "You're our family; he would never look at you as witch."

"Snow, you can't tell him. You can't tell anyone. Even if your father accepted it, people don't like… witches."

"But you said you're not a witch."

Regina sighed. "I know." She took steps closer to her, biting her bottom lip. "But people see other people with magic as horrible things. They'd want me out of this castle, out of this land…"

"My father would never let them. _I_ would never let them hurt you, Regina."

Such hope in her eyes; still an innocent girl. But naive. Like a young princess could stop a whole village wanting her head.

She couldn't help but smile at her and take the last steps to her, to then take her pale hands in hers. "No one can protect anyone forever."

A sad truth, because she wished she could protect her stepdaughter forever.

"I only do it when I'm alone and bored. It does no harm."

Another lie, but Snow didn't see it, and she was lucky for that. Most of time, Snow could see right through her; maybe she could with little things, or maybe she didn't want to see the real truth. Eventually, the princess sighed and nodded.

"Okay… I – I won't tell anyone. I promise."

Regina gave her a bright smile which Snow returned, and quickly pushed her into her arms, hugging her tightly. She couldn't put her chin on the girl's head anymore; she was getting taller. But she did caress her rebel, dark hair. She knew she could trust her; more if there was the fear that if she ever said something, she could get hurt. It was awful enough she had to lie to her like this, but she had no other option.

"Thank you, dear."

Snow moved away from her and gave her that smirk that meant she was going to ask for something. "So, can you show me the magic?"

Regina sighed and moved her hands, knowing she had to think clearly. Nothing dark could come out from her, but once again, looking at Snow's bright and hopeful face, she knew she wouldn't hurt her. Not with her magic, not without it either. She gave the princess a smile before opening her palms and showing little sparks coming out from them.

Regina didn't know that green eyes could get so bright.

* * *

Months after the princess discovered her secret, the Queen found her crying her eyes out in a corner, like never before. Snow didn't cry; except for the few tears when wound animals she'd try to help died in her hands. But this crying was far worse than a wound animal dying.

"Snow, dear? What's wrong?"

The young girl quickly looked up and stood up, hands moving to her face to wipe away all the tears. "It's nothing." Her weak voice said.

Regina narrowed her eyes to her, taking a step closer and reaching out to remove the hair from her face. "You know it's best for you to tell me now, because I will find out sooner or later."

"It's just a children thing, it doesn't matter."

"I believe it does."

Both of them stared in each other's eyes for what felt forever, but Regina knew that Snow knew better. The princess let out a sigh and shook her head. "I'm just a foolish girl, that's all."

"No, you're not. But why would you say that?"

"I thought – I thought a boy liked me…" She broke into tears, hands moving to her face to cover it while she sat in the corner's chair again. "But it was just a bet."

Regina frowned and moved closer to her, feeling the desperation already. What could a boy do to a princess? Not very much, right? No. A boy couldn't do to Snow what the King did to her. They were just children.

Still, she was a child also when the King married her.

"What did the boy do to you, Snow?" Regina's voice grew with impatience.

Snow cleared her throat and moved her hands from her face, yet her green eyes stayed on them. "He kissed me. But then he ran off with his friends and they all laughed of me… all the boys, all the girls… I thought they were my friends."

Regina sighed. She didn't know the feeling, because she never had friends. Not until Daniel. He was the only friend she'd ever had. But she could feel Snow's sadness as her own. She'd been lied to, and humiliated. _That_ she knew about.

"It's all right, my dear." Snow frowned and quickly looked up to her, feeling as confused as ever. She thought Regina would understand the situation; she had no friends now, they all laughed of her because she was the most idiot girl in the land. "It's their lost if they don't wanna be your friends. You deserve more."

"But I'm an idiot!"

"No, you're not." She put a hand on her shoulder, which often Snow would take as an indication to not move her eyes from her. Clever girl. "You're a wonderful, beautiful, smart girl. No boy, no stupid pesants deserve your tears. Listen to me, Snow." The princess blinked and nodded quickly, her crystal eyes showing how much curious she was now. "You're turning into a woman, and you need to know that many people see women as weak people. They're gonna try to make you look weak, they're going to try to humiliate you, make you beg even, but you don't low your head. You have to keep your chin up, always. Even in the weakest moments, your chin shall be up. Did you understand?" Snow's eyes grew wider and nodded as much as she could, to which Regina smiled and put a finger under her chind, to lift it up. "You're a princess, and most important, an honorable woman. Keep your chin up."

Snow nodded slowly as Regina's finger moved away from her face, but she kept her head up. "Always."

The Queen's lips curved into a smile and moved the rebel hair from the princess' face. "Now go on, you have to take your lessons." Snow did as she was told and got up, but the older woman quickly put a hand on her shoulder, earning the girl's eyes. "What boy did this to you?"

"The stable man's son."

She managed to give the girl a smile as Snow turned around and walked away.

Later that afternoon, both the King and the Queen were standing in front of two boys. The stable man's son and his best friend; the idiotic King was giving them a lecture about why they cannot treat women that way, with his most gentle voice. Regina sighed and rolled her eyes at his words; she only told him because she had to; for him to do this, and for the boys to lie to him telling him that they were very sorry.

Once the King was finished and out the stables, the boys stayed in place to see that she wasn't moving.

"Oh… Your Majesty, we are very – "

Regina cut him off by raising a single hand and shaking it. The boys looked to each other and back to her, lowering his heads. A smirk grew in her face as she started walking back and fourth in front of them.

"Do you like the stables, boy?" Both of them looked up, and the blond boy, the stable man's son, saw that her brown eyes were on him.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She gave him a cold smile as she looked back and fourth between them. "Do you both like your comfortable houses?" They both nodded quickly, and she could almost see them swallowing. "Then I do not understand why you would risk it like that."

"Risk it, Your Majesty?" The black haired boy raised an eyebrow to her, and she stood in front of them, bringing her hands together.

"Why, of course. Didn't I ever mention it?" Regina took a step closer to them, feeling how the anger was showing all over her eyes, her brown eyes probably going darker as any situation in which she'd dark magic. "If you ever lie to the princess again, if you ever humiliate her again, if you ever _only_ upset her again, I will make sure that you know what living in the poorest village feels like. Do you want that? Do you really want your fathers to lose their jobs because their sons couldn't obey a simple rule? To always respect their King and Queen, and therefore their princess?"

She smirked to see the color out of their faces; their eyes grew wide as ever, and she was sure they were shaking, even if only a little bit. "N – no, Your Majesty. We – we will apologize to the Princess, we will never –"

"I'm sure you won't." She smiled down at them, and walked over to the door. "Oh, and I know you two are leaders of your group, so I'm hoping that you will tell all the others that laughed of my stepdaughter to apologize to her, too."

When there was no answer, she looked back, the smirk on her face disappearing. The thirteen years old boys quickly nodded and said in unison, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"And I better never, ever hear again that you treat a woman like that. Even if it is not the princess."

When she saw out of the corner of her eye two pair of heads nod, her smirk grew as she walked out the stables.

That night, Snow came to her running before dinner, telling that all the boys and girls apologized to her, saying how sorry they all were, begging for her to take their apologizes. She accepted, and of course she was glad that they all could see their mistake and apologize as honorable children. Regina only nodded and gave her smiles.

When they were having dinner, the King was proud that his words touched the boys, and Snow was proud of the boys, but the Queen knew better, and so then her smirk grew wider while she drank her wine.

Doing dark magic and making sure Snow was happy and protected was all that mattered now in her life. Usually, making Snow happy meant doing pure things, you could say, so she really enjoyed it when her darkest part could make her stepdaughter happy.

It was an interesting combination.

* * *

Regina couldn't believe she had to be in this disgusting village. It was the poorest and less safe village of the land, and yet the King decided to pay a visit to them, bringing her and Snow along with him. What was he thinking to bring her, and most of important, bring the fourteen year old princess to here?

Of course Snow was happy to come to help others, and that was all she chattered about on the way here. She'd been here before, two years ago, but it was most safe back then. Everyone knew that the Kingdom wasn't going through a good time, the thieves around were becoming common lately.

Yet, here she was, sitting on her horse while the King was – along with all his guards, of course, he wasn't that idiot – speaking to the most needed people. She'd had an eye on Snow all the time, but she'd missed a second for going for food for Rocinante and coming back to him, and now she couldn't find her from where she was looking.

It was beginning to worry her.

"Claude?" She called out; looking to her right as the guard quickly appeared to her side. "I can't see the princess. Find her."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Five guards started their search while Rocinante started to walk foward, as Regina's eyes were trying to be everywhere in the hopes to see a tangled black hair somewhere. All the peasants would bown down as she passed by, but there was no trace of Snow.

She'd never gotten herself lost in a village before. Yet, this was her first time here.

Soon enough everyone was looking for Snow White. The King and his guards, the peasants, herself, but no one was close to finding her. She got tired of it.

Regina jumped out of Rocinante, and seeing that everyone was too busy looking for Snow, she went in the woods. She hid behind a tree and turned around to face it as her hand moved in front of it, and an image drew on the tree.

"Lukas? Lukas!" Snow was screaming out a boy's name, to which Regina rolled her eyes, thinking she really ran off with a stupid boy. But she quickly remembered a little boy with her before she went for Rocinante's food; he seemed to be lost, and Snow was talking to him. Now she was in the woods, apparently alone. "Where are you?"

Regina was ready to go back to the guards and suggest to them where Snow could have gone, but her brown eyes grew wider and darker when she saw men starting to walk out behind trees and bushs around Snow. The princess quickly closed her mouth and started to look at them all, fear spreading all over her face.

Regina was sure fear was already on her face too as they both realized they were bandits. Probably six bandit men. It was a tramp. The boy led her to them, so they could take her? Over her dead body.

The King and the guards were off to the woods already, but they wouldn't get in time. Her despair grew wider when she saw them starting to get closer to the fourteen year old girl.

"Stop! I – I have nothing!"

"Of course you have, you're the princess." One of the men said, walking over to her. "We're gonna get so much for your rescue, little princess."

Snow frowned and tried to step back, but soon the man's hands were on her. "Let me go!"

Enough.

Regina shook her hands around her and disappeared in a purple smoke, appearing only a meters from the bandit and the princess. "Take your hands off her, you disgusting peasant."

All of them turned around to see her standing there, and only Snow's face grew with fear, for her, not for them. Foolish girl. A smile appeared on all the men's face as they started walking to her, with the exception of the one that was holding Snow back.

"Stay away from her!" Snow cried out, trying to get rid of the man.

"I suggest you follow your princess' words." Regina raised her hands to them, taking a step back. She really didn't want to do this in front of Snow. "I will give you the gift of leaving if you leave us alone, now."

"We're so lucky. The princess and the Queen. How rich are we gonna be?" One of them said, raising his bow and arrow.

They weren't going to surrender, and she wasn't going to let them take them. She had no choice.

"You have no idea, my dear." She said before moving her hand and throwing a man off to a tree, knocking him out in a second, or killing him, she wasn't sure. She didn't care.

"Witch! The Queen's a witch!" The man that was holding Snow said; Regina didn't want to look at her face yet.

The one with the bow and arrow relased his arrow as Snow cried out, but Regina only took it just in front of her eyes, and made it ashes. How dare he try to kill his Queen?

She moved her fingers as the dark magic was going through her veins and showing all over her face. With a flick of her hand she broke the man's neck, as other was running up to her. She moved her hand to him and threw him off to a tree. Others two tried to run to her with their swords, but she threw them off to rocks, and didn't even measure the strenght she was using.

But quickly enough she felt a sharp pain in her right arm, and she turned around to find a man with her sword up. The man's face drew horror as he must have realized what he'd done and to see her dark eyes. He was a dead man.

Her hand reached out and into the man's chest while he cried out. "How dare you hurt your Queen?" She whispered as her hand moved away from his chest, taking his heart with it. The man fell on her knees and she looked right into his brown eyes as she crushed the heart in her hands. The bandit couldn't even scream in pain as he fell unconscious on the ground, and the ashes slipped in Regina's fingers.

"You're a monster!" A male's voice screamed, and she turned around, looking straight in the blue eyes of the man that was holding back Snow.

"I warned you." She hissed and raised her hand as her fingers started to appear in the man's neck and his body started to move away from the ground. "And you didn't hear me. This is what happens to bandits."

"Stop!" Another voice cried out, but she only smirked as the man's face was going from red to blue. "Regina, stop!"

It was Snow's voice.

Her hand quickly dropped as the men fell to the ground, gasping for air. She blinked and looked up to find watery green eyes looking back at her in shock and fear. Was she afraid of her? She couldn't. How could she think she could ever hurt her?

"Monster!" The man she was choking before cried out and stood up to then run away from them.

The young Queen frowned and looked around to see all the bodies on the groud. Half of them unconscious, the other half dead.

"What did you do?" Snow whispered, and Regina looked up to her once more, seeing how much she was shaking. No. She couldn't be afraid of her. She took a step closer to her, but Snow only stepped back quickly.

"Snow, I won't – I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you."

"You…" She looked for a second to the bodies around them and then back to her eyes. "You killed them."

"I warned them!" Regina raised her voice, which made Snow jump. "No, I'm – I'm so sorry, Snow. I warned them, they gave me no choice. They were going to hurt you."

"You – you didn't have to kill them… you –"

"I was protecting you." She said in the softest voice she could find, her own eyes creating tears at the mere thought of Snow fearing her; _hating_ her. "Bandits have no heart; they were going to take you and god knows what they would do to you even if your father gave them everything they wanted."

Three of the unconscious men that she thought to be dead woke up. They wasted no time in getting up and running away. That only meant that she killed two men. In front of her stepdaughter.

"Snow, I'm so – so sorry… I – I did what I had to. I've never done it before…" She lied, but she had to save herself from this. "I – I don't know what came on me. I only knew I had to protect you… at all costs."

Snow's sobbing seemed to be stopping and they both fell silent as the princess looked back and fourth to the dead men on the ground. Regina wished she could use her magic again to dissapear them, but she knew she couldn't do magic in front of her. Not now, not ever again.

Bastards. They tried to kill her. They got what they deserved. But Snow had the purest soul in all the lands, she would see different.

"You're not a monster." Snow said after seconds, and Regina looked up to her to see her staring back at her. The crying was gone, but the tears were still there. "You got out of control, right?"

"Of course I did." Regina said, feeling a single tear rolling down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and sighed. "I shouldn't have done it; I just don't know what I was thinking."

"I won't tell anyone, but you cannot use magic, ever again." Regina nodded quickly and felt a smile curving her lips, but decided to put it off. "It was so… awful. I – I thought you were going to kill me too."

"No, I would never." She took a step closer, and this time Snow didn't step back. "I will never use magic again, Snow."

"Promise it."

Regina bit her lower lip and sighed, but eventually nodded as she took another step to her. "I promise."

Only then Regina let her lips form a small smile when she saw the same on her stepdaughter's lips. "You were trying to protect me."

"I was."

Snow nodded and wiped the tears from her face. She let out a long breath and took a step closer to Regina, as some kind of blue magic trapped her stepmother, freezing her in place. "Regina!" She tried to run over to her but quickly strong hands were holding her back. She looked back to find one of their guards, as others guards and her father himself walked over to them.

"I can't believe I've married such an evil witch." The King yelled, walking over to Regina. He stood up in front of her as she kept her eyes on him. "Now you will never hurt anyone ever again."

The blue magic that was trapping her got off her, as Regina fell to the ground, weak. Snow tried to get rid of her guard but he only clung to her. "Father, what are you doing?!"

"She's a witch. We all saw how she killed those men. Now she's going to pay for it." Regina looked up at him with all the anger she had left, but felt no magic inside her. "We removed your magic, you can't hurt us now."

"She would never hurt us!" Snow screamed, still trying to get rid of the man holding her back.

"You're too innocent, my princess." A fairy flying above them said. The blue fairy. "But what the Queen did was dark magic, dear. Really dark magic."

"And she's gonna be punished." The King cut off the Fairy, and moved his eyes up to his guards. "Take her away."

"What?!" Snow screamed as she saw two guards making Regina stand up. "She was protecting me, Father! They were going to hurt me!"

"She still had no right to do all the things she did. She's a witch. We don't have witches in our kingdom, Snow. You know that."

"She's not a witch! Wait, no!" The young princess screamed again as the guards started to take Regina away, and she could only fight in vain against her guard's strenght.

"Take my daughter back to safety, and far away from her."

"No, Father, listen to me! Please, you cannot hurt her! Father, listen!" She screamed and screamed, but two guards took her away in the opposite direction of where they took Regina.

She tried to get rid of them; she kicked them, screamed on them, cried on them, but nothing worked. They took her to real carriage, and she tried to find her stepmother with her eyes, but she was nowhere to be found. The guards made her enter the carriage, and all Snow could do was sit alone in it as they returned to her castle.

When she got out of it, she'd find Regina. She would talk to her father and make him see clearly, make him see that Regina wasn't evil, she wasn't a witch. She had magic, and she just got out of control because they were going to hurt her. She promised her she wouldn't use magic ever again. She wasn't a bad person. He couldn't hurt her.

She wasn't going to let him hurt her.

* * *

 **I hope to hear your thoughts about this, reviews are very important to me!**


	2. I'll take the fall for you

**Hi, everyone! First of all, I wanna say a big thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites, I'm so glad you liked it and I loved reading all the reviews, even if it's only you telling me to update, because that means you like it and wanna read more. So thanks to everyone!**

 **Here's the second chapter, and I'm already writing the next one, so if you have any ideas or would like to see something in the next chapter, just tell me, it could help me write!**

 **The chapters are gonna be kind of long, I hope you don't mind.**

 **And I wanted to clear out that I put Henry as a main character too because he will be, but it's just gonna take a little more for him to show up, don't worry.**

* * *

Snow stared at her own reflection through her mirror. Her eyes were so red and swollen; her head was killing her, it was probably midnight, but she couldn't sleep. She wasn't even tired; she just wanted to know how and where Regina was.

Her father had ordered for the guards to lock her up in her own room. She screamed and cried and kicked the door, but nothing would work. The hours passed, she kept crying, and no one would open the door. She just needed to talk to her father and make him see clearly.

Regina wasn't evil. She wasn't an evil witch. She just got control of herself because the bandits were going to hurt them; she was protecting them. How couldn't her father see that?

The fourteen year old princess quickly looked up to hear her father's voice near her room. She ran to the door and hit it with her fists and feet. "Father, I need to talk to you! You have to hear me!"

"We'll talk in the morning." The king's voice was heard from the other side, but Snow had enough. He was hearing her out.

The princess ran back to the large mirror standing in the corner of her room and stood in front of it, carefully watching it. It was a present of her father when she turned thirteen, telling her she was becoming a beautiful young woman that needed to see her own reflection every time she wanted. Snow frowned and stepped aside, throwing the mirror to the floor, and jumping a little bit for all the mess and sound it made.

"Snow?! Open the door!"

Snow smiled to herself and stepped back, letting out a small moan to feel something cutting her feet. She looked down to see small pieces of glass under them, and instead of jumping off it, she pressed harder, seeing more blood coming out from them. She didn't know why she was doing it but it felt good – and maybe her father would finally listen to her with all this.

A pair of arms wrapped around her and took her out of the glass she was standing on, Johanna quickly appearing on view, standing in front of her and bending down to look at her feet. Her green eyes didn't look down at her, didn't even register all the people that ran inside her room to clean the mess she'd made, two doctors quickly standing to her sides to check her out. Her eyes stared into her father's brown eyes; he was standing next to the door, confused and alarmed.

She frowned, and she was sure she'd never looked at him with such hate and anger. "So can we talk now, _father_?"

* * *

Soon enough her feet were covered by headbands, while she was sitting across her father. They were in his desk, and neither of them was talking, only silently looking at each other. Snow didn't know why he was so carefully watching her, but she knew her reasons. She was trying to figure out why he would think Regina was evil; why would he treat her like she was nothing more than an evil witch that had to be killed.

"Where's Regina?" She was the first one to speak up, having enough of the silence and just wanting to know where her stepmother was. The princess knew she was probably locked up in the dungeons if she was really treated like a prisoner. Snow was hoping she was wrong and she was comfortable in some guest room, at least.

"I know you're angry at me, my dear. You need to understand that she's probably bewitched you, that's why you still think she's good. But I will find the cure, my princess, and we'll be fine. We'll be happy."

"We'll never be happy." Snow spat out, angry and disgusted at her father's words. She couldn't believe he really believed Regina had bewitched her – that was out of question. She loved her because she was her stepmother, she was her family. She wasn't a witch, she wasn't a monster. "We'll never be happy without Regina. You won't hurt her, father."

The king straightened his posture and cleared his throat, his hands coming together on the desk and his eyes slowly showing anger. But Snow didn't move, she kept her angry eyes on her as he opened his mouth again. "She killed those bandits. She ripped a man's heart out –"

Snow couldn't hold it any longer as she slammed her fist on the table, startling her father. "She was protecting me! They were going to hurt us, you know that!"

"We were going to save you both. She had no right to kill them – much less with magic. Dark magic."

For a moment, the memory came back to Snow's mind. It was like she was so focused on wanting to know how Regina was she forgot about it all. It was like she'd forgotten about the men flying through the air; her stepmother's hand getting into a man's chest and crushing his heart to ashes. She had chills to remember the fear about the possibility of Regina hurting her too. Her eyes built up tears to remember her stepmother's dark eyes, full of anger and hate, thirsting for death.

That wasn't the Regina she'd known – the woman that saved her from the runaway horse wasn't that woman, killing anyone that stood in her way. Small tears started to make their way down her face, starting to believe her father was right.

She had no right to kill them – who knew if she wouldn't lose her temper again to do something similar?

"It's okay, sweetheart." Her father said, reaching out to take her hand, but as soon as his fingers touched hers, she moved her hand away, and soon remembered something else.

Regina actually stopped when she told her to stop. She remembered her eyes full of confusion as she looked around, seeing what she'd done. The princess closed her eyes and remembered the fear on her stepmother's face to know she was afraid of her; the relief on her face when Snow told her she wasn't a monster.

Regina loved her. She thought the bandits were going to hurt her, and she didn't hesitate to attack because that was what mothers did – any threat to the children had to be eliminated, that was what she'd read so many time in her books about animals. Mothers protected their children, no matter what.

"You said you were going to save us." Snow murmured, looking up to her father, tears no longer running down her face. "You were going to kill those bandits, weren't you?"

"They were going to kidnap you, Snow. Of course I was going to kill them."

"So what's the difference?" Her father actually looked confused at that as Regina's voice echoed in her head.

" _You're turning into a woman, and you need to know that many people see women as weak people."_

"Is it because she's a woman? What's the difference, father? You were going to kill them, but she did it first, to protect me, just like you were going to do. You're scared of her magic, but there's nothing to be scared of because she only used it for protection!"

"She's an evil witch, Snow White." King Leopold's features hardened as he moved his hand away from his daughter's. "I'm not gonna be married to a witch – to someone that can rip hearts out! She's cursed you, and I will demand her to tell me where's the cure for your curse before –" Snow narrowed her eyes at him, and he closed his mouth, to then let out a long sigh. He didn't want to say it, but Snow wasn't that stupid.

Her green eyes filled up with tears at the thought. "You can't kill her. She's family. You will never love her like you loved mother, you don't even love her, but I do. And she loves me. We're family – you cannot break that. You can't take her from me."

"I'm doing what's best for you, my dear. You're not seeing clearly because she's bewitched for you to love her, because I know you'd never agree with a woman that rips hearts out. I'm not going to let anyone with dark magic get near you, Snow. It's for your own sake. Even if you're not cursed, you're still a child. You don't know what's best."

"I do know what's best for me. Losing my mother once again it's not what's best for me. Please, father. You can't kill her – if you hurt her, I will never forgive you. I will hate you forever."

The king seemed to try to consider her words for a minute, till he shook his head and cleared his throat. "You're talking under the curse; I know you don't mean it." He looked up to the guards standing behind her and shook his wrist. "Take her to her room."

Snow got up and slammed her hands on the table; anger lighting up in her green eyes like never before. "You won't hurt her. I won't let you."

The king rose from his chair, but she kept her eyes on him, knowing she had to keep her gaze just like Regina taught her she had to do while arguing with someone. "I am your father, and I am the King, you're not telling me what I can do."

Snow didn't say anything else as a guard took one of her arms and took her out of the room. She didn't scream or cried or kicked this time as they lead her to her room, but when she was about to get there, she stood in place and looked next to her right; the bathroom's door.

"I have to go to the bathroom. Please, wait for me out here."

The guards looked conflicted to each other, but she didn't care as she got into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. The girl wanted to throw herself to the floor and cry herself to sleep, but she couldn't waste any time. She knew she had time to convince her father to let Regina go; to convince him she was good, but she needed to see Regina. She needed to know she was okay.

Fourteen years inside this castle taught her a few things, like the secrets tunnels in the walls, the secrets doors that were in a few room. Snow walked over the bathtub and gently pushed the wall, as that secret door opened. She got into it and heard as the door closed behind her.

She had to be on her knees and hands and crawl; she wasn't that little anymore. She started crawling, without knowing where exactly to go, since when she was a little girl and she found out about this secret tunnel, she tried not to take the path that she knew would lead to the dungeons.

Her white dress was getting so dirty, her knees were hurting and her hands were shaking since she hadn't eaten all day. But she kept crawling, until she knew she'd been crawling so much that she had to be in the dungeons. There was a little door to her right, and she hoped this secret door was hidden from the guards that had to keep an eye on the prisoners.

Her hand pushed into the wall, as the door moved to aside. Her head poked out as she looked around; she was near the cells and away from the guards, who were probably in the front door. She slowly got out as the small door closed behind her.

"Regina…" Snow murmured to herself, looking around. There was a large hall, lots of cell there. She started walking through it, looking in every cell, and looking back in case the guards would decide to come. She knew that Regina was here, and she also knew that there were no others prisoners but her. They never had prisoners. "Regina?" Snow raised her voice a little bit, in hopes that her stepmother would hear her.

"Snow?" She heard in the distance.

Snow looked forward and frowned. Of course they would keep her in the last cell; how could her father be so cruel? What was he thinking? The young princess ran up to the last cell as she didn't see anything but darkness, till a small figure stepped up in the moon's light.

Regina couldn't even stand up; she had to crawl to the bars. She was free of makeup and there were dark circles under her eyes; her hands were shaking as she tried to hold on to the bars. Snow slowly walked the steps that separated from her and knelt down in front of her, her hand wrapping around the shaking hand holding on the bars.

"What are you doing here?" Her stepmother's weak voice said. Snow had never hear her talking in such weak voice; she'd heard her talking in a low voice, but never weak. Never like this. "You shouldn't be here."

"I'm trying to convince him. I'm gonna convince him. I'm not gonna let them hurt you, Regina. I know you're not a witch. I know you're not evil. They just can't see it, but I will make them."

Regina looked up to see the princess' eyes. They were red, swollen, filled with tears. She wanted to reach out and touch her face, but she was so weak. She was so weak without her magic; whatever spell they put on her was taking all her strength. It'd been only a few hours, but it felt like an eternity. She was getting weaker with every passing hour.

"You're cold." Snow whispered as her warm, pale hand rubbed her cold hand. "I'm sorry, Regina. I should have never gotten away with that little boy. This is my fault."

"It's not your fault." Regina murmured, taking in a deep breath. "You were trying to help someone, and that's good. I – I just had to control myself."

"We've got time, father's gonna clear his mind, he's just impacted with all he saw, just like I was, but I knew better. I knew you were trying to protect me because you love me, right?"

Regina looked up to her green eyes, but couldn't say anything. Last time she told someone she loved what she felt, his heart ended up being ashes. Her fingers clung to the bars as the image of Daniel's lifeless body in her arms came to her mind. This was going to be her end; they were going to kill her tomorrow, Snow just didn't know that. She believed they had time, but the execution was going to be tomorrow. And she wasn't going to tell her.

She didn't want Snow to see all that. They were going to probably burn her alive; that was what they did to witches. She was going to finally see Daniel again. It was okay for her, if it wasn't for the fourteen year old girl in front of her. She'd leave Snow behind, but she wasn't going to be in danger. The king could be many things, but hurting his daughter – not physically anyway – wasn't one of those things.

Snow was going to be okay, and she was going to be with Daniel again.

"You should go, Snow."

"I'm gonna get you out of here, Regina."

Regina smiled at the girl's endless hope. No matter what her father would say about her, she knew Snow would always defend her. The king and everyone were right, though. She was an evil witch; she had darkness in her, she enjoyed her dark magic, she could kill anyone that would step in her way to protect what she loved, she didn't care. But Snow still believed in her, she still looked up at her with those big and hopeful green eyes, she always saw the best in everyone, and the young Queen was glad she wasn't the exception.

She wanted Snow to remember her like that; a good stepmother that just wanted to save her and lost control of herself and not as someone who enjoyed killing everyone that dared to hurt her.

"Remember what I've always told you." Snow frowned, looking right through her brown eyes. "You keep your chin up, no matter what."

The princess nodded and kissed both of her hands wrapped around the bars. "I will see you soon."

"Wait. Come closer."

The girl did as she was told and Regina got the strength to support her head and press her lips to Snow's forehead, through the bars. She'd never been this affective with Snow, but she had to do it now. This was going to be the last time she'd see her, and even if she wouldn't tell her, the princess needed to feel loved by her. Regina wished Snow would remember this every time some dark memory of her would get to her mind.

Regina moved away and tried to give the princess the best smile she could manage, knowing she would never see her again, knowing in two days Snow was going to probably wake up to the news she was dead, and she was going to be heartbroken. She wouldn't be there to comfort her, but she knew Johanna would be there. It was going to be okay.

"You can go now."

Snow gave her one more smile before she turned around and walked away from her, looking back every other moment. Regina sighed and stepped back into the darkness; her back resting on the wall. She closed her eyes and imagined Daniel, welcoming her somewhere. She was going to see him again.

* * *

Snow had orders to stay in the library room. There were two guards inside the room, two others outside the room. She didn't know why she needed so many guards, but still she followed her father's orders, hoping that doing what he wanted would help to later convince him about freeing Regina.

A lump formed in the princess' throat to remember how much weak her stepmother was last night. Even if she wanted to focus on the book, she couldn't. All she could think of was Regina. She just wanted to help her, get her out of that horrible place. That was no place for a queen.

Her father never loved Regina; that was clear. He'd never think of the possibility of killing her if he loved her. But if she could only get Regina out of there, even if she wasn't queen anymore, she'd be happy with that. She'd be happy as long as Regina was happy.

It was true that Regina wasn't the most friendly woman, but that didn't mean she was dark and evil. She was kind of cold and unkind to peasants and guards, she wasn't the woman that saved her from the horse anymore, but she was still there. Snow knew she was still there every time she made her laugh, every time she'd hug her to comfort her, every time they'd ride together.

The princess took a hand to her forehead, remembering the kiss Regina had given to her. Regina had never kissed her, not once in the four years they lived together under the same roof. She'd always hug her, brush her hair, make her braids, caress her cheeks, give her real smiles, that was all Snow needed, but the kiss was more. She wondered why she did it.

It was like she was saying goodbye.

A suddenly pain in the head made her cry out. She touched the same place where Regina kissed her and closed her eyes, hoping the pain would go away. But when she opened her eyes again, the guards were still in their places.

They weren't standing in front of the door; there were two others guards outside. They were standing in front of the windows, which had its curtains closed. Snow frowned as they didn't even intend to make any move to see how she was.

Why were they so determined to guard the windows?

"Why are you standing in the windows?"

"King's orders."

Snow left her book on the nightstand next to her and stood from her chair. She slowly walked over to a window, and stood in front of the guard, looking up at him. He wasn't moving. "Move."

"I can't. Your father gave us strict orders."

"Why would he give you strict orders of not letting me get near the window?"

It wasn't like she was going to jump off the window; the library room was the highest room of the castle, on the fourth floor, near the palace's top. She wouldn't even register or hear anything from the first floor; she and Regina would always come here to have peace.

Regina. Her hand went up to her forehead, where Regina gave her a kiss. And suddenly she remembered her father's words, saying he'd demand Regina to tell him the cure of her "curse" before… before he killed her.

The princess' eyes went wide as she ran back to the book she was reading without attention. She went through the pages and suddenly stopped in one of them; her eyes going even wider at the image and the title. There was a witch being burned alive between the flames. That was what they did to witches; they burned them alive.

Her breathing started to get heavier as she turned around and looked at the guards. They were standing in front of the windows so she couldn't look down and – and see how her father burned Regina alive. Tears started to fill up her eyes as her body started to tremble, realizing how stupid she was.

Regina knew she was going to be killed this day. She was saying goodbye to her. Was she dead already?

Snow let out a broken sob, and another, and another, until she screamed, and cried out in pain like she was being stabbed through her heart… which she was. All she could scream was longs _no_ , _no_ , _no_ , while imagining her stepmother being burned alive as she was reading a stupid book.

She started to choke on her tears. She couldn't breathe, and she didn't care. She fell back on her back, and kept chocking on her tears, as suddenly the guards appeared on her view. One of them told the other to look for a doctor, as the other helped her sit up.

Snow's green eyes were filled up with so many tears she couldn't see clear, but she saw something shining in the guard's waist. Her breathing started to slow down as she looked around and saw the door opened; she was alone with one guard, the other three ran off to find doctors. Maybe it wasn't too late.

She wasn't going to let them hurt Regina. They weren't going to kill her.

Snow quickly took the guard's sword and hit him in the ribs with her feet; a strength she didn't know she had suddenly possessing her. The guard fell on his back and she ran out of the room, her fingers holding on to the sword that she knew very little how to use; she'd convinced her father a few weeks ago to let her take swords lessons.

She ran down to the third and second floor, no one standing in her way since no one was in the palace. They all were going to witness Regina's execution. The princess got to her room and ran into it, throwing the sword aside and taking her bow and arrows instead. That was something she knew how to use.

When she got out of her room, there were the three guards, ready to take her. Snow felt like the smallest thing ever, but she took an arrow and put it in her bow, ready to release it. She closed her eyes and remembered Regina's words.

" _Keep your chin up, no matter what."_

* * *

Regina kept her chin up as she was lead to her death. Guards taking her from her arms, walking her through all the servants and peasants, as her eyes moved to the royal thrones. Only the King was sitting there; no sign of the princess. Regina sighed in relief that Snow wasn't seeing any of this. She wasn't probably aware of all this.

The guards tied her up to the mast, as she looked down to all the wood that was ready to be lit on fire. "Regina." King Leopold spoke up, rising from his chair. She looked up at him, and felt sick to remember she'd slept with that old man. She wished she could kill him before she died. "Do you have any last words?"

"I do." She was quick to answer. Her brown eyes looked forward as she was met with faces full of anger and fear. "I know I'm being judged for my dark magic. Dark magic that caused pain, dark magic that inflected misery… dark magic that even brought death. When I look back at everything I've done, I want you all to know what I feel. And that is… regret." She looked down and Snow's smiling face flashed through her mind, as well as Daniel, falling on the ground, lifeless. Her mother's hand crushing his heart to ashes as she kissed him, trying to bring him back. She looked up to all the peasants' faces, staring at her. "Regret that I was not able to cause more pain." Gasps were heard from any side as her eyes filled up with tears, but a smirk showed up on her face. "Inflict more misery, and bring about more death. And above all, with every ounce of my being, I regret that I was not able to kill…" She looked right into the King's eyes as her body kept shaking from all the anger and hate she was holding back. "King Leopold."

King Leopold rose from his chair once again, this time with anger showing off his face, "Burn her alive!" He screamed, and Regina watched as a guard lit up a torch and started walking over to her.

She closed her eyes and let the tears run down her face. She knew Snow would find out about what were her last words, but she couldn't help it. They needed to know who she was; she needed to make clear how much she hated the king before she died. The former queen opened her eyes as the guard was getting the torch close to the wood.

It would all end in a minute.

"Stop!" Someone yelled from the people, and an arrow hit right through the guard's arms, making him jump back as his own arm got on fire. Regina narrowed her eyes to see who the hell dared to do that, and saw as her stepdaughter ran through the crowd, pushing anyone that got in her way, till she got to the center of the place. "You're not killing her!" The fourteen year old yelled, putting an arrow back in her bow, and looking straight into her father's eyes. Regina was surprised to see such anger and hate in her green eyes as she put her bow up once again.

What the hell was she thinking? Did she really think she could fight all the guards and her father, the King?

"You're not killing my stepmother. Tell them to let her go."

"Snow White, you are not giving any orders here. She's a witch, and if we don't stop her now, she'll kill us. You didn't hear what she said, she –"

"I did." Snow said, and Regina's eyes got wide as Snow looked at her, anger fading from her eyes to be replaced by disappointment. Her eyes quickly looked back at her father, and narrowed her eyes at him. "She's not evil. She's misunderstood! You can't kill her – you won't kill her."

The princess put her arrow and bow up, in the direction of the king, as everyone gasped, even Regina, to imagine that Snow would hurt her father – for her. "Don't you dare, Snow White."

"You weren't even here when my mother died!" She screamed at him, tears spilling out from her eyes, Regina could see the sadness and anger on her face. "And now you wanna kill my stepmother?! If you want to kill her you're gonna have to go through me."

"Fine." Both Snow and Regina snapped their head to hear him actually say that. He shook his wrist and Snow started to low her bow with confusion, as Regina looked back at Snow, and saw a guard slowly walking towards her. Did the king really mean to hurt his daughter?

"Snow, watch out!" Regina screamed, and Snow tried to put her bow up again and turn around just in time, but the guard already took her behind her back, as two more guards came up to hold her back too.

"Let go of me! Let me go!" Snow started screaming and kicking, but they only kept their firm hold on her. Regina's eyes filled up with tears at the image of her stepdaughter fighting so much to save her; no one ever cared that much for her. Never. "Father, please!"

"Lock her in her room." The king calmly said, as the guard started taking Snow away.

Snow managed to steady herself on two guards' shoulders as they kept taking her away. She watched as her father only had to shake his wrist for a guard to walk over Regina, with a torch already lit up by fire. Snow's green eyes locked with her stepmother's brown eyes for a second before the guard finally put the torch down, into the wood, as the flames started expanding.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Snow's heartbreaking cry was the last thing Regina heard before she started to feel the heat, before her view of everyone was covered by fire. It still didn't get to her skin, but there was no going back. She closed her eyes and just waited for Daniel to come for her.

Snow couldn't see Regina anymore. The flames around her were getting bigger, and all she could think of was that she had to save Regina. She didn't deserve this. She was only protecting her. Just like she was going to do now.

"Let go of me!" The princess kicked a guard in the face with her foot, making that guard let go of her, as she quickly took another guard's sword and pushed it right through another guard's shoulder. She cut a guard's face and kicked him with her feet in his stomach, so he had to let go of her. When her feet finally got on the floor, she only had to kick the last guard with the sword to be free of him.

"Regina!" The fourteen year old girl screamed as she ran through the crowd, suddenly hearing her father's scream for someone to take her, and she saw out of the corner of her eye guards starting to run up to her, but there was no time.

She couldn't fight them all and then take Regina out of the fire. She stepped back, sword up, seeing how all of her father's guards were encircling her as she felt the heat behind her. The princess looked back and forth between the guards and the fire. She wasn't going to fight them.

She was going to save Regina.

Snow stepped back a little before running straight into the fire. She heard her father crying out her name; she was running straight into suicide, but she was going to make it through. She had to. Snow closed her eyes before she jumped through the fire, feeling her skin burning as she fell next to Regina's feet.

"Regina!" Snow coughed, and stood on her feet with the little strength she had. Regina opened her eyes as they got wide at the sight of her stepdaughter in front of her.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Saving you."

With a move of her wrist, she cut off the ropes that were tying Regina up to the mast. The Queen looked her up and down, seeing that her white dress was getting on fire, so she quickly extended her arm. "Take it out!"

Snow didn't know what she was doing, but she took off the wristband Regina had on her right arm. Her stepmother took both of her hands in her own as a purple cloud surrounded them.

There was no more fire. No more heat.

Snow saw green everywhere before her legs couldn't keep her up any longer, and Regina wrapped her arms around her as everything went black.

* * *

 **Please review, it's very important to me! :)**


	3. The thing you love most

**Hello everyone! I am so sorry for the delay, but I had half of the chapter written and then I had everything I wanted to do but nothing would come up to write, no inspiration.**

 _Also, here goes a OUAT spoiler: did you see that we're getting in March 2016 new scenes of young Snow and Regina? I'm so excited for it, because Bailee's so grown so she's gonna play a teenager Snow, and I'm just so excited to finally see some teenager Snow and Regina as her stepmother! :)_

 **Thank you for the reviews, new followers and favorites! I'm glad you like this story so far, hope you'll like this chapter too!**

* * *

Snow groaned in pain as a piercing pain came to her forehead. She quickly took her hand to it and opened her eyes, slowly blinking. She frowned when she realized she was under a roof of branches. She didn't want to sit up because she guessed her legs and arms would hurt; she could remember the fire burning in her skin.

But nothing was burning. The princess' frown got deeper as she looked at her arms and saw nothing; there weren't marks, no burned skin. Snow sat up and carefully watched her legs, her white dress was clearly burned, but there was nothing in her white, pale legs.

"Regina?" Snow whispered scared. She clawed out of whatever she was in and looked around, seeing her stepmother sitting on a big wooden log. To see her, Regina quickly got up and walked over to her, Snow opened her arms to think she was going to hug her, but instead, the older woman took her by her arms and shook her off.

"What were you thinking, Snow White?!" The former queen yelled on her face, to which Snow was startled. Anger was showing off Regina's face as she was sure her face had fear and confusion all over her face. "You could have been killed, you –"

"I wanted to save you." Snow muttered, but she was shaken off by her stepmother again.

"I didn't need you to save me. I wanted you to be safe, and you jump through fire?! You're lucky I could heal you with my magic, you have no idea how bad your skin was!"

Instead of getting a hug and warm words, Regina walked away from her and sat down once again, as Snow didn't know what to do or where to run to hide and cry. Her green eyes filled up with tears as she stared at her stepmother; Regina had her elbows on her knees and her hands were together, and she was shaking.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I didn't want you to die." The fourteen year old girl wrapped her arms around herself as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She just wanted to hug her stepmother after believing she would never see her again, but apparently she was mad at her.

"You're going back to the palace. And I am staying here."

"What?!" Snow shook her head and uncrossed her arms, seeing as Regina got up and started walking back and forth.

"I'm a fugitive now. Your father wants my head. He will forgive you, you're his daughter." She looked up and saw Snow looking at her shocked. "You can't stay with me, it's too dangerous."

"No." Snow firmly said, and Regina was quick to open her mouth, but the girl shook her head, taking a step closer to her. "No! I'm not going anywhere, Regina. I'll stay with you. If you're fugitive, so I am. How can I come back to my father knowing he wanted to kill you?"

"Snow, he's your father –"

"And you're my stepmother." Snow cut her off; her eyes filling up with tears again. "You were going to die, and I just wanted to save you. I'm not going to go back to my father, if you don't want me with you, all right. I'll stay alone, in the woods." Regina rolled her eyes, knowing how dramatic her stepdaughter could be. "If you use magic on me to make me appear there, I'll run away. And… I'm sorry you didn't want to be saved and wanted to get killed."

Snow walked past her, but Regina kept looking ahead, not turning around. She closed her eyes and sighed, knowing she'd been too hard on the girl. She didn't mean to, but that was all she could yell at her after catching her when she fell unconscious… after seeing how flesh her skin was by the fire – after she put herself to so many dangers because of her.

Regina opened her eyes and turned around, seeing silent tears rolling down Snow's face as she kept her eyes on the ground. No one had ever risked their life to save hers; Snow fought so hard for the King to free her, she could still hear her crying when she saw her being lit on fire.

The older woman walked over to her stepdaughter and sat next to her, quickly wrapping her arms around and hugging her like never before. Soon the princess broke in tears as she held on to her, becoming a sobbing mess on her shoulder. Regina felt tears threating to leave her own eyes but she closed them and fought to keep them in. She had to be strong.

"Snow, you have to go." She tried to move the girl away from her, but Snow only clung to her. "You have to. It's too dangerous for you to stay with me. You're the princess; you can't just run away…"

"You're still the queen." Snow whispered, moving away from her but holding on to her hand. "I meant it, Regina. If I go back, I'll run away. This isn't only about me wanting to stay with you; this is about my father wanting to kill you like you were nothing."

She'd always been nothing to the King, nothing more than a sexual object to show off to others. The young and beautiful Queen, the good mother to the princess, she was never Regina Mills, not to him. But she was to the girl in front of her, looking at her with desperate love.

"You're the only family I have left, Snow. I just want you to be safe."

"I'll be safe, with you. We're family; we have to protect each other."

Snow was choosing her over her father, over her own blood. She was someone's first choice, and that was enough for her to break in tears. Snow, worried as always for her, quickly wrapped her by her arms, as Regina cried on the shoulder of her young stepdaughter. The young princess, who everyone thought to be innocent and naïve, was a fighter; the fourteen year old girl fought guards and stood up against her own father, the King himself, with bow and arrows.

All for her. Snow never gave up on her, no matter what.

"It'll be okay, Regina. We'll be okay." And now she was comforting her when she was the older woman that had to be comforting her.

A sister, a daughter, she didn't know what she saw Snow as, all she knew was that Snow was the only family she had left; the thing she loved most. The light in all the darkness that surrounded her… she wasn't going to lose that. She wasn't going to lose another thing she loved.

"Okay." Regina murmured as she backed away from the princess. Snow looked at her, confused and happy. "We'll stay together, but this is gonna be hard. You have to listen to me in everything, Snow. Your father will never stop looking for you – and me."

Regina had to steady herself when the princess threw herself into her arms, holding on to her like her life depended of it. The older woman let herself relax for only a minute, resting her head on the girl's shoulder. She took a deep breath and slowly moved away from her, looking around to see that no one was around.

Snow followed her gaze confused, and when she looked back at her, Regina shook her wrist and her bow and arrows showed up next to her. Her stepmother gave her a huge smile as she took them and handed them to her, but the princess only watched in awe.

Regina frowned, still holding the bow and bag with arrows. "This is yours; I thought you'd like to have them."

Snow slowly took the weapons from her and put them in her lap, swallowing hard. When she looked up, she saw Regina giving her a real smile, like she didn't know what was wrong. "I – thank you, but I don't… like when you use magic… anymore."

Regina's smile quickly fell at that, a frown appearing on her face as she realized what she'd done. Snow looked away from her and kept her eyes on the ground, as her brown eyes couldn't help but keep staring at her. She was so stupid; how could she forget how the hell did they end up in the woods, where they'd have to live now?

Snow obviously didn't forget about her hurting the bandits, killing them. She sighed and closed her eyes; of course the girl wouldn't want her to use magic after seeing what it could do. Snow was going to look at her with sadness every time she'd use her magic, or worse, with fear.

"I'm sorry… I didn't realize." Snow kept nervously playing with her fingers, looking at the ground. "We should get… going."

Snow quickly got up as she wanted any reason to do it and walk away from her. The girl hang the bag with arrows in her back and held on to her bow as she walked over to the tent she'd woken up in. Her hand reached out to the branches but when she was about to touch them, she stepped back, remembering the branches on fire under her stepmother's and her feet. She could still feel the heat.

"How did you make this? I didn't know you knew a lot about… tents."

"I don't," Regina answered, getting up and turning around. "I did it with –" She cursed herself as she fell silent. Was the experience of almost getting killed and Snow being hurt making her this idiot? The princess turned around and carefully watched her.

"You used magic, didn't you?"

"Magic's a part of me, Snow."

"But it's dark magic. And that dark magic's consuming you. I heard your last words back there, remember?" Regina had no words for that; she wasn't planning on facing Snow after all those horrible things that the princess shouldn't have heard. She knew she'd find out, but she'd be dead by then. When her brown eyes looked at her stepdaughter's green one again, she saw water in them, as they were staring past her, like her gaze was lost. "You think I didn't realize how much cold and dark you were getting? I've prayed every night for you to be happy again, and every morning I'd see how unhappy you were as you looked at my father. I wished I could help you, and I realized you were… kind of happy when you were with me, but you weren't otherwise. I didn't know what was wrong with you… not until you killed the bandits, not until I heard your last words."

What was wrong with her? Those words, coming out from her stepdaughter's mouth, felt like a knife going through her heart. She'd heard so many times her mother saying something had to be wrong with her for her to behave in such an awful way. All she did was an act like a normal girl; wanting to have friends, wanting to be free, not wanting to have unnecessary lessons about how to be a queen. She just wanted to be normal and happy.

And here was Snow; the only person she considered family now, saying she didn't know what was wrong with her. Instead of sadness filling her as every time the girl would say something like that, she was filled with anger, and she couldn't help but spit it out. "What was wrong with me?"

"Dark magic is what's wrong with you. You can't keep using it… it'll destroy you. It makes you do and say bad things. I know you weren't always like this, full of hate and anger, the woman that saved my life years ago… had good in her." Regina frowned as her eyes filled up with tears at the thought of Snow really believing there was no good in her. "She's still inside of you, but you can't let the darkness overcome her."

The former queen blinked, small tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's not that simple."

"This is a chance to start fresh, Regina… to leave the evil behind that palace."

Regina's hands closed into fists, as she looked up with anger at the young girl in front of her. Snow didn't flinch at that, even if her stepmother had never looked at her with such anger; she knew what she said to cause such anger. It confused her that it didn't cause sadness but anger, but the girl quickly understood that this wasn't her stepmother's fault.

"Evil? So now I'm evil?"

"This is what I'm talking about." Regina followed the princess' gaze as she looked down to her fists. Her brown eyes looked down at them and saw how much defensive she got; she frowned and relaxed her fingers, looking up at Snow with sadness all over her face. "It's your choice. But I don't want to lose you. And I'm scared darkness _can_ take you away… that it can completely consume you."

"I would never hurt you, Snow."

"I know. But you'd hurt others… you said you regretted that you couldn't cause more pain, bring about more death, more misery… kill my father. I would never forgive you, just like I'm never gonna forgive my father for trying to kill you."

Regina closed her eyes and felt it inside her; anger was trying to take control over her. She felt the magic going through her veins, but her hands closed into fists as she opened her eyes and looked at the girl in front of her; there wasn't even a sign of fear in her eyes as she kept looking at her, waiting for her.

"I know you're still good, Regina. I believe in you."

At those words, her muscles relaxed and she let out a sigh. Last person had believed in her was Daniel, when she cried on his shoulder after yelling at a peasant for first time, over some stupid reason. She'd cried for hours on his shoulder, thinking she was just like her mother, but without magic. Daniel had been there to comfort her and reassured her.

" _You're nothing like your mother, Regina, trust me. Your soul's the purest soul I've ever known, anyone can yell at anyone out of anger, that doesn't make you a… that doesn't make you your mother. I know you'd never become her, I believe in you."_

She'd failed Daniel… she was just like her mother, magic and all. Losing him pushed her too far, until she found refuge in anger and hate, realizing how powerful she could be with all that hate inside her. She didn't expect for the fourteen year old girl to grow in her heart, a heart she considered dead. It wasn't dead every time Snow smiled at her, every time Snow laughed, or every time the girl would show her love for her.

Dark magic killed Daniel. Dark magic made her banish her mother from the land. Dark magic was what her mother used to take her father away from her. Dark magic wasn't taking Snow away from her, too.

The princess was the last thing good she had in her heart, the last thing good to hold on to. Darkness wasn't gonna overcome that.

"I'm not going to use magic… ever again. I promise."

The smile Snow gave her was one of the biggest smiles she'd ever seen on the girl's face. She was quick to open her arms when Snow walked over to her and hugged her. "Thank you. Remember you don't have to do this for me, but for you, too."

"When did you become so… wise?" The former queen said with a smile as she moved away from her, a smirk quickly forming on Snow's face.

"Around ten… when a woman saved my life from a runaway horse."

Regina nodded at that, genuinely proud. "It makes sense."

Screams were heard in the distance. Snow looked confused and scared, but Regina quickly ran to the tent and took out a sword she'd conjured up before Snow would wake up. The princess looked at her with wide eyes and with her eyebrows raised, so the former queen had to sigh and shake her head.

"I made it before you woke up, we have to get going."

"You don't even know how to use it? And what were those screams? Where are we?"

"A village… the nearest village around the palace." Snow quickly took an arrow and put it in her bow, ready to shoot and run. Regina walked over to her and put her hand on her should, which made Snow look at her. "No. We have to go. They're looking for us, Snow."

"But they're screaming, they could be hurting them! We have to help them, this is my fault!"

"No!" Regina almost yelled at her, but quickly looked back to see that no one was near. Snow's green eyes soon filled up with tears, as Regina sighed and looked at her with sadness. "Don't worry; I don't think your father would hurt his people… he just wants to find you, and me. You have to listen to me if you want to stay with me."

Snow looked over to where the screams were coming from, small tears rolling down her cheeks. Soon she felt soft fingers wiping them off, and she looked forward to see Regina giving her a small, sad smile. The fourteen year old girl sighed and put the arrow back in the bag, lowering her bow and nodding.

"All right."

"Let's go, they're gonna start looking in the woods soon."

As soon as they turned around, an arrow flew right past Snow's face. The girl screamed in fear and stepped back, Regina being quick to look forward and see that at least six guards were a few meters from them. They should have believed that Snow was her, of course that the arrow was meant for her own face.

Regina closed her hand into a fist, feeling the anger and magic going throughout her whole body with speed. Just when she lifted her hand, ready to attack, another hand took it and in matter of seconds she found herself running, taking Snow's hand.

Arrows were flying so near them she couldn't believe they were still unharmed. The older woman looked back as she kept running, seeing that more guards were chasing after them. They were going to get to them soon if she didn't do anything about it.

Regina moved her the wrist that was holding her sword and soon both she and Snow fell to the ground to feel it tremble. Both of them looked back and saw a fallen tree, another one falling, and another one… Regina slowly moved her wrist once more and another tree fell, but near them.

"Come on, Snow!" She took her arm and helped her get up before they kept running.

They kept running until they found a cave, and realized that no one was following them anymore. Regina nodded towards the cave and walked over it, but stopped when she realized her stepdaughter wasn't following her. The former queen sighed and turned around to face the girl.

"It was you, wasn't it? You used your magic, when you just promised you wouldn't!"

"It wasn't me!" Regina quickly said, shaking her head and keeping a firm gaze on her. "The trees almost fell on us too; do you think I'd risk you like that? If it was me, I would have shaken my wrist to snap their necks, not to block their path." She saw as Snow flinched at that, and closed her eyes. "But I didn't, because I promised you I wouldn't. I don't know who did that, but it wasn't me. You said you believed in me."

Snow opened her eyes and stared at her with sad eyes, but she kept her stare too, letting her be weak for a moment, so her stepdaughter could see that she was hurt by her believing it was her.

She was truly hurt, but because of herself… because she had to lie and manipulate Snow this way, all for her sake. The princess was strong and brave, but she was still innocent and naïve; they wouldn't survive in the woods and with guards chasing after them without her magic, she realized that the moment the first arrow flew past Snow's face.

"Swear it. Swear that you had nothing to do with the trees falling, that just don't happen, Regina."

"I can't swear that I had nothing to do with that because I do have friends that have magic… maybe it was them, trying to help us."

"Friends with magic?" Snow frowned, curious but distrustful.

"Yeah… maybe not friends, but allies. They may have helped us."

The fourteen year old seemed to consider her words; she kept staring into her eyes, but Regina trusted herself in keeping her eyes on her, too. Snow would know when she was lying about little things, but with big things, she wouldn't see it, or she didn't want to see it.

"So you keep your promise, then? About not using magic ever again?"

She could tell her right now, after this the lie would become bigger and bigger… she could explain to her that her magic didn't have to be necessary dark, maybe she could start to find another way to use it, to control it… but Snow would never understand. She knew that the girl was too scarred after seeing all she did with magic.

Snow would always hate and be afraid of magic, it wouldn't matter if it was light or dark, she would always be afraid that she'd lose her mind in any moment. She'd always afraid of her.

"Of course I keep it, dear. I'd do anything for you."

Snow slowly smiled at her before walking past her and into the cave. Regina let out a long sigh, closing her eyes and promising to herself that she'd use her magic in case they were in danger… only when it was necessary. She could do it.

Horses began to be heard in the distance, so Regina quickly got into the cave, sitting next to Snow. The girl got closer to her, fear drawn on her face when they could hear the King's guards walking and talking above them, on the ground.

Minutes passed and they stayed silent, listening to the horses slowly going away. Once Regina knew it was safe to get out, she took the girl's hand and walked out of the cave, looking everywhere and seeing that no one was around.

"Rumplestiltskin!"

Snow was startled to hear Regina yell like that when guards were just there minutes before. She slowly moved her hand away from hers, her stepmother not even realizing it as she kept screaming that name that she could never forget because it was so weird.

She was screaming the name of the man that got lost in the woods and Regina helped him find his path. The man that looked like an imp.

"What's with the yelling, dearie?" Suddenly another voice said behind her, which made her jump and quickly turn around, already searching for an arrow. She stopped when she saw him; he looked the same as years ago. "Already defensive, princess?"

"How did you appear out of nowhere?" Snow asked confused, and Rumple looked behind her, probably to Regina. A hand took her arm and moved her away from the strange man, and she looked over her shoulder to see Regina stepping forward to put her behind her.

"I need your help."

"You know I don't help."

Snow frowned and felt angry at her stepmother suddenly ignoring her. "Regina, is he one of your friends with magic?"

"I'm not her friend." Rumple answered instead, a smirk forming on his face. "I'm – was her teacher."

"Teacher? Teacher of what?"

"Why, magic, of course."

"What?!"

Regina finally turned around and looked at her in the eye. She swallowed and nodded, letting out a sigh. "He taught me everything I know about magic. He wasn't lost that day you met him, he came to see me and met you for some reason that I still don't know. I lied to you because… you didn't know about my magic, and I didn't want to scare you."

"Scare her?" Rumple giggled, and Snow frowned confused to see him doing something weird with his hands. "Why would I scare her? Only for being the Dark One?"

Regina sent him a death glare as Snow's green eyes widened, looking back at forth between her and him. "The Dark One? As in… the most powerful sorcerer of dark magic?"

"That's right, dearie."

Snow opened her mouth to say something to her, but Regina didn't have time to deal with a heart-to-heart talk in front of Rumple; she showed him too much of her weakness already. The former queen turned around and put her best cold mask. "I want to make a deal."

"Now we're talking. What would you want?"

"A protection spell… something so people wouldn't recognize us."

Snow saw as Rumple moved his hand and different cloaks appeared on them. Her cloak was white, as Regina's was brown. "Now you look like someone else. If you take your cloak off, people would see you like you really are." Regina turned around to look at her, and they both were surprised to still see their faces. "It doesn't work on you two, only for other people."

Regina turned around once more to look at him. "Okay, what's your price?"

"A little of your hair."

"My hair?" Regina asked confused, as Rumple seemed to walk over to her, only to walk past her and towards Snow. Before she could do something, he took a hair from Snow's head as the princess let out a groan, taking her hand to her head. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"What do you need of my hair?" Snow asked confused as Rumple walked away from them, giggling with his eyes fixed on the single hair he took.

"What do you need of it that's been now cropped of your head?" Snow kind of smiled at that, finding it funny, but her smile quickly disappeared to see the anger on Regina's face as she looked at him. Rumple turned around and looked right into her green eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

"No." Regina answered, and stepped up in front of her. "Give back the hair. There's nothing good that you can do with it. I know lots of potions that can be made by only a hair."

"It hurts me how quick you are to think badly of me, dearie. Anyway, it's not up to you this deal." His shiny, yellow eyes looked past her, a small smirk forming on his face.

"You're not making a deal with her."

"Deal." Snow said, and Regina quickly turned around, surprise and anger showing off her face, but the younger girl kept her eyes on the Dark One, trying her best to ignore her stepmother. "We have a deal."

"It was nice making a deal with you, Snow White."

Regina looked over her shoulder to him, and turned around to face him, calmness slowly getting to her. "Snow, I need to talk to him alone. Go wait for me in the cave."

Snow sighed and didn't say anything else as she turned around and walked into the cave. Once they were alone, Rumple saved the hair in his pocket as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"If you conjure up something to hurt her, you will know how good I was at learning."

Rumple smiled and looked up to her. "I'm glad to see your darkness is still there. Almost believed that emotional speech you gave the girl about giving up your magic. Do you really think you'll be capable of controlling it?"

"Of course I will. I am giving up dark magic, but not my magic… not while we're in danger."

"So you're never giving it up because you will always be in danger. Stop making up excuses. I know you, dearie. Dark magic's a part of you, it will always be; you can't give up the darkness and keep the magic."

"There are still persons that have magic and they're not dark."

"Oh, yes, of course… difference is that they haven't tasted the darkness, and if they did they didn't like it. You did. You tasted it, and you loved it… you tortured, you hurt, you killed… and there's no coming back from that."

Regina's eyes slowly filled up with tears, but she was quick to put on her mask and look at him with anger. "You're trying to convince me to step back into it… and I am not. I am better than that."

Rumple giggled and started walking around her, as Regina tried her best to not let him see how hard she was trying to contain her magic. "Such a waste of potential. You could have been so powerful, my dear. You could have been the chosen one to cast the great dark curse."

"Dark curse?" Regina frowned and turned around to look at him, to only see a big smirk on his face.

"The greatest curse of all, only someone really powerful can cast it."

Curiosity filled to know more about it, but maybe that was exactly what he wanted, so she shook her head and looked back at him. "So why don't you cast it, then?"

"I can't. And now I see you can't too… or maybe you could if you lose control of your darkness."

"What? What are you talking about? What's the cost of that dark curse?"

"Taking the heart of the thing you love most." Regina's eyes widened at that and stepped back, quickly glancing at the cave. "That's why I think you wouldn't be able to do it now… but as long as you keep that darkness of yours, who knows?"

"I would never…" Regina swallowed and was cut off by the only thought of her doing tbat. She looked up to him and saw his eyes looking down at her hands, seeing how much they were shaking. She frowned and kept them together, shaking her head. "I would never do that."

"As you say, Your Majesty." He stepped back and smiled up at her. "But you'll keep your magic, dark or not… don't forget, dearie; magic always comes with a price."

And then he was gone, in red smoke.

Regina hugged herself and let a few tears roll down her cheeks. She couldn't give up her magic, she just couldn't, not even at the risk of… hurting Snow, because she just knew she would never do that. No matter what, she would never hurt her stepdaughter. Ever.

"Regina?" Snow's low voice came from behind her. She quickly wiped away her small tears and turned around, watching the princess poking out her head out of the cave, looking everywhere. "I came out because you were taking so long… is he gone already?"

"Yes."

Snow sighed in relief and walked out of the cave, nervously playing with her hands. "I'm sorry if it made you upset I made the deal… but we need these cloaks. It'll keep us safe. And I don't really think he has any intention of hurting me… despite how weird he is. And that he's the Dark One."

Regina saw how nervous and uncomfortable she was when the last words were spoken. "I'm sorry I lied to you about him, I –"

The girl shook her head, looking up at her. "It's okay, I understand. I'm just glad that you've decided to give up your magic… so you wouldn't be like him, or your mother."

Snow gave her a nervous, small smile, as she tried her best to smile to her. "All right then, let's see if we can… get anything to eat for dinner."

The princess nodded and walked over to her, handing her sword to her. She took it from her and gave her a smile as the girl walked past her. Regina looked down to her sword and sighed, closing her eyes and remembering she would never hurt Snow. No matter what.

* * *

Later that night, they found themselves in the cave again. Regina decided it was a good place since the guards were already there and didn't find it, so they wouldn't come back back at it.

They only ate fruits that Snow was able to get with her bow and arrows; Regina remembered how her eyes filled up when she told her to shoot an animal, so she decided that fruits were good for only today. With her new cloaks, maybe they'd be able to go to the nearest village in the morning to see if they could get anything.

She wasn't ready either to cook an animal. It was going to be difficult, but they'd make it through.

Snow fell asleep as soon as she told her that it was okay to sleep. Regina knew that it was true; it was safe to sleep, but she couldn't close an eye. She was sure she'd been staring at the sleeping princess for maybe over an hour; Rumple's words still echoing in her head.

She knew that she'd kill herself first with her dark magic before she could hurt Snow, but the only thought of it was hunting her. There was nothing that could make her want to hurt Snow; she was all the family she had left, she'd protect her until her last breath.

There was no way she'd hurt her. But she was still scared of herself – of what she could do.

Regina crawled to Snow and sat next to her, her hand slowly moving up to remove some black curls that were falling on the princess' face. "It's gonna be okay," She whispered and smiled. "You'll be safe. I promise."

Her hand moved away from Snow's black hair and moved down to her chest, her eyes closing for concentration. Magic was going through her veins with speed, and she moved her fingers as her eyes opened and saw a few sparks under her hand, and getting into Snow's chest.

No one was going to be able to take Snow's heart, not even herself. Never.

Regina sighed in relief and slowly lay down next to her stepdaughter, closing her eyes and letting herself relax for first time in days.

* * *

 **Please leave a review, I love to read what you think or what you'd like to read!**


	4. Fate

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your reviews and the new followers and favorites of the story, hope I won't disappoint you!**

 **So we're on hiatus now. I'm pretty disappoint with this season, with the lack of Regina and Snow, not only of their relationship but for them as character at all. Hope that'll change in the 5B.**

 **As for the lack of Snow Queen in the show, here goes Snow Queen in my story, hope you'll like it!**

 **We'll have a jump in time in this chapter so action can start.**

* * *

"Snow, stop crying."

The fourteen year old sobbed once more as she kept walking side by side with her stepmother. "I don't want to do this anymore, it's just so unfair. I had no right to do that!"

Regina rolled her eyes and put a hand on her shoulder, which made the girl look up at her. The older woman sighed to see that she was genuinely hurt by all this. "This is what we have to do to survive now. We're not gonna eat it; we're just gonna trade it for some money. You need to calm down."

They kept walking, but Regina rolled her eyes once more to hear Snow sobbing behind her. It had been a week since they'd been in the woods, they kept eating fruits and plants, but that wasn't enough. Two days ago Regina finally had courage to catch a fish for dinner, and then just moments ago she practically forced Snow to shoot a hare.

The princess cried over its body, kept apologizing to it, and kept sobbing as they headed to the nearest village.

It didn't help that she could actually talk to animals too.

They finally got to the nearest village and kept their heads down as they walked to the person that traded food for money. They'd been alone for a whole week so they didn't know if the cloaks really worked. But Regina knew Rumple, and she knew he kept her deals, so she put her head up to see everyone.

People looked at her but kept walking, like she was no one… which she was now. People that were in line to trade food didn't seem to mind, either.

"Are you new here? I haven't seen you around before." The man across the table said when it was their turn in line. Snow looked up at Regina, worried, and knowing she couldn't say anything because she was still bad at lying.

Regina gave him her best false, small smile. "Oh, yes, yes we are. My husband passed away recently, so I'm the one that has to take care of things now. This is my daughter, Mary Margaret. I'm Wilma."

The man looked over to Snow, and she dared to raise her head a little and shyly smiled at him. "Your daughter? I thought she was your sister." He laughed a bit as Regina handed him over the bag with the hare inside.

Snow frowned, confused and for some reason angry at that. "My sister? Why would you think she's my sister? She's my s – mother."

"Calm down, girl." The man smiled at her. "You two do look alike, that's why, and besides, your mother looks young."

"Forgive my daughter, sir, she's just too… sensitive since her father's passing." Regina quickly answered as he gave her a few coins, which she didn't dare to count even if she wanted to, it'd look suspicious for a peasant woman to count the coins right there. "Thank you."

"I don't say this many times, but thank you. Hares aren't easily to hunt."

Regina gave him a quick nod before getting out of line, taking Snow with her. When they were behind a tree, Regina counted the coins, it was only 7; nothing for what she was used to, but the man was generous to give that much to a peasant woman and her daughter. Insolent daughter, she'd dare to say.

The former queen looked up to Snow, and saw that the frown was still on her face. "This isn't much to what we're used to, but it's enough. And, did you hear what he said? Hares aren't easily to hunt, so you're pretty good with your arrow."

"My father paid the best instructor of the kingdom, I better be the best archer."

"Sh, you can't say things like that now, I told you that." She frowned when she saw tears starting to form in the girl's green eyes. "What is it?"

No one would ever find weird that her father was her father, and that was because the age difference. The man said it himself; her mother looked young… which she was. She'd never asked Regina what her age was; she'd always tell her happy birthday and all, but would never ask her age, neither did Regina say it. But she was young… she remembered how young she was the day they met. And all this time she'd been married to her father.

It was disgusting.

"I'm so sorry, Regina. I am so, so sorry for getting you in all… this." Snow's tears started to quickly roll down her face. Regina didn't know what she was talking about, but she tried to get to her to comfort her as Snow stepped back, shaking her head. "No, stay away… it's just… I never saw it. I should have seen it. I should have stopped my father."

Regina looked back to see that no one was near them to hear everything she was saying. She wanted to tell her to stop saying her name, to stop talking about her father, but something was very wrong with Snow and she needed her to calm down before she'd lose it and would start screaming her name, her own name, and everything they had to keep hidden.

"Look at me, Snow." She whispered and took the princess' hand, even if she refused. "I need you to calm down till we get to the cave, okay? We can talk there, but we can't talk here… people could hear us, and they can't know who we really are, remember?"

But the fourteen year old girl kept shaking her head as more tears kept coming out from her eyes. The man was right; they could be sisters, not mother and daughter.

"How old are you?" Snow managed to ask after taking deep breaths. Regina frowned at that, but didn't open her mouth as she finally understood her stepdaughter's crying.

The man's words. His words about them being sisters because she looked young. Did Snow really find out about how young she was now? She thought the princess realized it at some point, but was too blind by her love to see how things were. Looking at her green eyes that were becoming bloodshot, she knew she was wrong.

"Twenty two."

"You and I… we're only eight years apart… and you were married to my father!" She almost yelled in shock, so Regina had to put a hand in her mouth, her eyes quickly becoming cold.

"Stop. You need to calm down. Whatever was between your father and me, it wasn't your fault… at all. My mother got me into that, not you. Do you hear me?"

Snow slowly took Regina's hand from her mouth and frowned, her lower lip trembling. "If we hadn't met each other…"

"Many things would have happened, but I'd like not to think about the _what if's_ , all right? You have to forget… about that."

"I can't." Snow said confused and shocked her stepmother would even suggest that. Even if it was Cora's fault, she still had something to do with it. It was because Regina saved her life that she got into a marriage she didn't want, that she had to be the wife of someone old enough to be father. The only thought made her sick. She knew that this happened to many girls… but having it so close made her see how unfair it was. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry you had to… be in a marriage you didn't want… do things you didn't want to do."

Tears quickly built up in her brown eyes to hear those words. Nobody ever apologized for making her marry someone so old, for going through things she didn't want, at all. Regina took Snow in a tight hug, not wanting the girl to see the tears coming out from her eyes. She put her chin on her shoulder and cried silent tears on it, trying to keep it together for her stepdaughter's sake.

She took her hand to her face and wiped the tears off, slowly moving away from Snow. "It's okay. I'm… okay, now."

Snow remembered the words Regina spoke when she was about to be killed – how much she wanted to hurt people and kill her father. She could see now why she held on to darkness so much, why she'd like to hurt others and her father, specifically.

Snow felt anger building up inside her to realize that he didn't care how young Regina was. He didn't care about her age and that she didn't want to be in that marriage. He wasn't the person she thought he was… and after all those years she could see it.

"Come on," Regina spoke up again, wiping the tears off from her face. "We need to buy food; I didn't force you to shoot that hare for nothing."

They both walked back to the village and went directly towards the food store. Once again, they had to wait in line for their turn, and as they were waiting, Snow felt something pulling up her cloak. She took it, alarmed and scared, but looked down to see that it was a small child.

A little girl… maybe 6 or 7 year old.

"Hi. I like your braid."

Snow smiled at her and knelt down in front of her. She felt like she'd seen this girl before. "Why, thank you. I like your braid too."

The girl's blue eyes light up at that and gave her a big smile. "The princess taught me how to do my hair. Your braid reminds me of her."

Snow suddenly remembered the last time she'd been in this village… she'd helped many little girls do their hair. They were a totally mess, just like hers was, and she taught them all how to do the braid that Regina had once taught her.

"My friends and I do the same braid since she taught us. Do you think she'll come back at the palace? I wish I could see her again."

Snow looked back to see Regina carefully watching her with a serious look and a frown. The princess looked back at the little girl and gave her a small smile. "I don't know if she'll come back to the palace, but maybe you'll see her again."

"Here…" The little girl suddenly took out of two bracelets of her pocket and handed them over to her. Snow frowned and looked down to her small hands. "You're kind and pretty like the princess, you remind me of her. Can you keep them?"

Snow frowned and looked down to the little girl's small hands. There were two silver bracelets, one had hanging a little moon, and the other one had hanging a little sun. "Why, thank you, but they're so beau – pretty for someone like me. You should keep them."

"But I saw you were crying behind the tree… with your momma. So I want to give you something to smile."

Snow found her so cute that she gave her a smile and caressed her blond braid. "It's okay. You already gave me something to smile for. And do you always give gifts to strangers?"

The little girl shrugged. "That's what the princess did when she came to here. She gave gifts to me and all my friends… and she didn't know us. I want to act like a princess, so momma says it's okay if I want to give gifts to people that seem to need them."

The fourteen year old girl's heart was filled with cuteness and love at the admiration that this little girl had for her. She was about to tear up; she'd been so sensitive these days. Looking back once again at the girl's blue eyes, she guessed she could take the present… it didn't look like the bracelets were expensive, so she hoped she wouldn't be taking something important for the parents.

"You sure this isn't important for you or your family?" The little girl nodded with excitement and she bit her lip as she opened her hands and the girl left the bracelets on them. "Thank you so much… I'll keep them safe. I'm sure the princess would be really proud of you for doing this."

Her blue eyes light up once more, as a big smile appeared on her face. "Do you really think so?"

Snow nodded. "And she would also be very grateful. She'd like you very much."

"Mary Margaret!" The older girl heard Regina calling out for her. She looked back and saw her with a bag, waiting outside the line for her. She didn't even realize she'd stepped out of the line to talk to the little girl.

"I have to go… and I think you should go to your momma too." The little girl nodded and turned around, but Snow quickly but softly took her arm. "Wait. You didn't tell me your name."

"Emma. My name's Emma."

Snow gave her a smile and let go of her arm. "Goodbye, Emma."

She saw the little girl running away from her and straight towards a woman. She sighed and looked down to the bracelets in her hand… Emma. She liked that name. Remembering who was waiting for her, Snow stood up and turned around to walk over to Regina.

"Who was that little girl?"

"The kindest little girl I've ever met. Her name was Emma. Look what she gave to me."

She showed her the bracelets, as Regina looked down at them with curiosity. "Are you gonna keep them?"

"Of course. Here, look. One for me…" She put the bracelet with the sun in her wrist and put the one with the moon in Regina's wrist. "And the other for you."

Sun for Snow and moon for her, Regina could like that. A quick idea came to her mind so she put her hand over Snow's wrist and pretended to caress her arm when in reality she was conjuring up a spell on the bracelet. Soon the moon in her bracelet showed a small, white light as the sun in Snow's bracelet showed a small, yellow light.

"Oh my god, Regina, look at this. Are these magical bracelets?"

Regina frowned and took a look to the bracelets, pretending surprise. "I think so, I can actually feel it."

Snow frowned. "Maybe we should give these to the parents."

Regina shook her head and took her hand before she took the bracelet off. "It's a gift, Snow. You don't give gifts back. Don't worry; it's not dark magic… I've seen these kind of bracelets before, they're connected and it tells each other if the other one's safe. If the light twinkles it means the other person's in danger."

"Oh… okay. Maybe it'll help us. I'm glad we have this and not the little girl, I wouldn't want any small children near magic."

Regina nodded and they both started walking their way into the woods and back to the cave. She looked down to the small moon's light, and smiled to look up and see Snow walking in front of her. She didn't like lying to the girl, but once again, she'd do anything to protect them both.

* * *

Regina slammed the door behind her and let out a frustrated sigh. She was going insane.

Snow had been out of the house for almost two days, there had been no news of her, and Regina had been nervous the previous day, but she'd lost it that morning when the moon's light in her bracelet started twinkling. She used her magic so she could see where Snow was, but her magic couldn't reach her for some reason.

So she went out to find her.

And now it was night and there was no signal of her stepdaughter, her moon's light was back to normal now, which meant that Snow was safe once again, but she knew she had to find the girl. She knew she should have never allowed Snow to be away that long, but after a big fight about it, Regina agreed to it.

She could always use her magic to check on her. But it wasn't working this time.

Regina took her coat off and left it hanging on a chair, as she started walking back and forth around the room. There were only few places that her magic couldn't reach, and she couldn't think clearly right now out of fear.

The king's castle was one of the places that her magic couldn't reach – she'd heard that the King protected his castle so no magical creature could show up there.

A noise from her room startled her. Regina quickly walked over to the corner of the room and took her sword, knowing that whoever it was it wouldn't last to tell that she used magic anyway.

She slowly walked over to her room, and when she was about to get into her room, the door opened, and a man stepped out, fear quickly showing on his face when she put her sword in his throat.

"Who the hell are you?!"

The man tried to move his hands up but she pressed the sword harder, a small cut starting to form. "Regina, let me explain…"

Regina's brown eyes widened in anger and confusion to hear him say her name. No one knew her real name, no one but Snow, Red, Granny and the dwarves. And this man was no one of them. She pressed the sword harder, and the man groaned in pain. "You're here to kill me, aren't you? Well dear, I guess you're gonna take my place."

When she was about to finally cut his throat, a sharp scream filled the room along with something falling. She turned her head to see Snow running towards her, desperation drown on her face. "Regina, what are you doing?! Put the sword down!"

Glad that her stepdaughter was safe, but quickly remembering who was in front of her, Regina put a hand on Snow's shoulder and put her behind her. "Stay away, Snow. He knows my name, he'll –"

"Of course he knows your name, I told him!" Snow quickly moved her arm around and stepped forward, forcing her to put her sword down as Regina looked over to her, confused. She got even more confused when her stepdaughter walked over to the man and put a reassuring hand on his face and the other in the cut she'd caused. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…" He answered back, and looked over Snow's shoulder, straight into her brown eyes. Regina frowned, and rolled her eyes when she realized it all. "I'm so sorry I frightened you, Regina, it wasn't my intention."

She was going to kill Snow White.

"You could have helped by not startling me in my own house, or maybe by telling your name in first place."

Snow turned around, as Regina got her rolling her eyes. "Yeah, well… let me introduce you to the man you almost kill. Regina, this is Charming… Charming, this is Regina."

Regina looked him up and down, her frown becoming deeper. Snow had told her about him, she'd been with her when they went to King George's castle so she could tell him that she loved him too, the girl had cried on her shoulder when she had to let him go since King George threatened her to kill him.

"It's been two days, Snow White." Regina quickly moved her eyes to her as Snow rolled her eyes at her… once again. "Do not roll your eyes at me, young lady. You've been in danger, I could see it in the bracelet, and I was worried sick!"

"That's my fault… we were in danger, but we got away. She's unharmed." Charming spoke up, getting a death glare from Regina. "I'm – sorry."

"Why are you still here?"

Snow sighed and turned around to look at him with a smile. "Please, give us a minute."

The princess watched as Charming gave her a quick nod and got into her – and Regina's – room again. Snow took a deep breath and turned around to face her angry stepmother. Regina had been happy for her when she told her she was in love, but she'd also been worried and cautious about all of it.

She knew Regina wanted to protect her, but her stepmother had to understand that she was a woman now. She knew how to hunt, how to fight, how to protect herself and protect the ones she loved, it'd been four years since they were living in the woods, running away from the King's soldiers.

"Where the hell were you these two days?"

"Charming found me while I was hunting… and then King George's men caught us and took him away. I had to save him."

"Why didn't you come to find me so I could go with you?! That's too dangerous for you, Snow!"

"There was no time! I had help from the dwarves and Red, it was okay. I don't need you to protect me all the time, Regina. I'm eighteen."

Regina rolled her eyes and walked over to the corner to put her sword there. They had many fights about this matter; Snow being a woman that could protect herself. Regina knew the girl was right, but she also knew that they were stronger together than apart, and she could always use magic to protect her.

But of course, Snow didn't know that.

The former princess, now called a bandit, was still a child, though. She would always be one in Regina's eyes.

"So now we're gonna play a happy, little family?"

"Why are you so mean?" Regina sighed; she'd always been mean, just not to her stepdaughter. Now she didn't have only Snow to protect, but also the other boy in the other room. She wasn't gonna protect him too, but he could get Snow in danger… he did already, many times. "He's a good person, Regina. He loves me, and I love him. We're not staying apart any longer."

The former queen turned around to look at her and she had to contain herself from rolling her eyes when she saw Snow's puppy eyes; she wasn't doing it on purpose this time, and that only made it worse. She knew how important he was to her, maybe her stepdaughter did find her true love… and losing him would devastate her.

If Charming loved her as much as he said he did, then he'd protect her with her life, just like she would do. It was true that the boy wouldn't put her in any danger that she hadn't put her before. It wasn't fair of her to try to separate them.

They really fought to be together, and she couldn't be the evil stepmother that wanted them away from each other.

And once again, who said that Snow wouldn't run off with him if she didn't let her be with him?

"All right, he can stay."

Snow screamed and clapped in happiness before she threw herself into her arms. Regina hugged her back and gave her a small smile when she moved away from her and ran off to her room to tell Charming. Her eyebrows arched when she realized where the boy was before she came to her house.

She and Snow would talk about that later.

Regina turned around and walked over to the casket on the floor. She put the apples that fell from it back into it and placed the casket on the table. She heard Snow laughing in her room and sighed as she got out of the small cabin.

It was going to be difficult.

Over the years, it had been only she and Snow. They'd found some friends – Snow's actually – along the road, but it was always only them. After Snow turned fifteen, Red found her stealing eggs from her hen house… Granny welcomed them to stay in their house for a few days, saying that was the cruelest winter ever since Princess Snow White's birth.

It didn't last long for the old woman to realize who they were. They saw Snow without her cloak, they tried to take her away from her, but the princess quickly told them the truth.

She told them about how she changed, she told them she fell into dark magic but she wasn't using it anymore, she told them how much she didn't want to come back to her father for what she did to her stepmother, and she told them that they were each other's family now, just like Granny and Red were to each other.

Granny respected that and decided to stay silent. She soon became a little fond of the woman when they found out Red could be turned into a wolf, something not even the girl knew. Red was traumatized after she realized she killed people, and that she ate her first love. Snow had been there, just like the good person she was. They eventually became best friends.

And Regina got a lot of respect for the old woman, knowing what it was like to try to protect a child at all costs.

Then Snow met the dwarves the day she had to break Charming's heart so he would stay away from her. The dwarves, mostly Grumpy, were always suspicious of her, thinking all the stories that had been told of her were true, or at least most of them. She knew that they still believed she was evil, but they also knew Snow was the only thing she cared about. They treated her stepdaughter like a sister, too, so they'd be civil, only for Snow.

Regina walked over to the back of her house, seeing Rocinante eating grass. She walked towards him and handed him an apple, as he happily ate it. They were his favorite.

Rocinante had always been her horse. She thought the King would kill him after everything that happened between them, but she was wrong. The horse managed to escape, though, and he found his way back to her. She couldn't believe her eyes when one day Snow came back from hunting and there she was, riding on Rocinante, almost two years ago.

"It looks like we've got company, boy. It's not going to be just the three of us anymore."

She gave him another apple and realized her words. Who knew if they wouldn't get marry, have children… and what would she do? Snow would have her own family, and she'd be left alone. Maybe the princess would return to her palace, ready to take their throne, for the safety of her own family.

Regina sighed and remembered a time in which she wanted them to run away to another kingdom. Snow didn't want to, though. She said they had to stay, that her father would have to change his mind someday. She tried to convince her that running away was the best chance they had, but Snow still didn't want to go, and she wasn't leaving without her, either.

There was a wanted poster of her in every corner of the kingdom. Her face was on it, accusing her of murder, treason and treachery, all against the King. There were wanted posters of Snow too, saying that she was kidnapped by the Evil Queen.

That was what everyone called her now. She wasn't Queen Regina anymore, but the Evil Queen, just like Snow had gotten the name of bandit Snow, in the few times that she'd been seen stealing and fighting her father's soldiers without her magical coat.

The Evil Queen and bandit Snow, who would have thought.

Regina suddenly felt magic around the air, and she quickly turned around and gasped in fear to see Rumple showing up in front of her. She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Is that way of greeting me after… what, four years?"

"What are you doing here?" Regina growled as she gave one last apple to Rocinante.

"Just came to see with my own eyes that you've accepted Snow White's true love."

Regina frowned and turned around to face him. Many questions started to run through her mind; how did he know about Charming, how did he know he was Snow's true love, why was he so interested in her accepting Snow's true love, and why would it be so important to him that she accepted it?

Many questions to ask, but there was only one that thing she said. "I'm not the evil stepmother here."

When she about to turn around to pat Rocinante again, she stopped short to hear his words. "And that's the problem."

Regina frowned. "What?"

"I'm here to warn you, dearie, because despite what you think, I'm still beating on you. I know you can be a powerful sorceress."

Regina's eyes became cold and dark as she only listened to his first words, not caring about anything more. "Warn me about what?"

"You're meant to be someone important. You can change some things in your life all you want, but you can't change your fate. And you were meant to be a powerful Queen, my dear."

The brunette frowned in confusion this time, "I was the Queen… it was them who tried to kill me, it was him who added evil to my name."

Rumple nodded. "Indeed he did. But I'm afraid that by changing things you'll give yourself so much trouble."

Regina was getting tired of him and of him trying to get into her nerves; she knew that that was this was about. "I know you're always planning something, so get to the point, Rumple."

"You were supposed to hate Snow White." Regina couldn't help but show her surprise to that, taking a step back. "You were supposed to blame her for your stable boy's death. You were supposed to kill her father, banish her from her home, try to kill her, and destroy her happiness at all costs."

"What?" Regina muttered, looking back to the cabin. She could see a candle lighting on her and Snow's room. "No, that's not possible."

"It was possible. You were supposed to be the Evil Queen, chasing after the bandit princess to take her heart out." She wanted him gone. She was lying to her. She knew he had to be lying; there was no way she could ever want Snow's heart. That was insane. "But things changed, you didn't blame her, you grew to love her, to protect her from anyone and anything. You let yourself care too much, Regina."

Regina wanted to run off somewhere and cry at the only thought of her taking Snow's heart out… at the only thought of her nightmares coming true. Was that the reason why she kept having nightmares about Snow being killed by her? She hadn't stopped having them ever since she protected the girl's heart with a spell.

"When things change, but fate remains, bad things happen. You changed things, but couldn't change your fate because you still held on to the most important thing about that fate…" Regina frowned as she felt the tears building up in her eyes. She was letting herself look weak in front of him, but she couldn't help it. "Your magic. I told you, magic always comes with a price."

"My magic isn't dark anymore. It's just magic." She whispered more to herself than to him, taking her fists to her eyes to wipe away the tears threating to fall. "You're trying to trick me, I know you. I don't know why you're even telling me this; you don't care about anyone but yourself. I will never become the Evil Queen; I will never try to kill Snow White."

"I know you'd never try to kill her… that's why you'll give yourself a lot of trouble, because you'll still become the Evil Queen."

Snow and her prince's laughter were heard from inside the cabin. She looked over to her and felt as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She wasn't going to hurt Snow, she could never do it.

"A young true love couple… how cute is that?" Regina's eyes looked back to him, growing dark and cold. "I know what you're thinking. I'm telling you this now because I know something's coming up… I don't know when or what is, but I know it's coming."

Regina clenched her jaw and closed her hands into fists, feeling the magic going throughout her body. "Why do you even care to warn me?"

"Because unlike you, I can see what'll get you there, and I hope you're smart enough to see it before it happens."

And with that, he was gone in a cloud of red smoke. She stepped back a little; it had been too long since she was surprised by someone disappearing with magic. But maybe she was more shocked for what he said to her.

There was no way she could become the Evil Queen, because he was clear to say that _that_ woman would want to kill Snow. It didn't make any sense. She was already named the Evil Queen, but she wasn't that person. She would never be, not only because she wouldn't hurt Snow, but because she wouldn't become that dark, she wouldn't kill the King because that would mean hurting her stepdaughter, she'd never forgive her.

"Regina? What are you doing out here?" Snow was suddenly in front of her, with a worried frown on her face. Regina blinked and realized she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even see her coming. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah… I just wanted some fresh air."

Snow gave her a small smile. "I know this is all suddenly and strange to you… living with someone new, but… we'll get used to it. And I do appreciate all you do for me… really."

Regina fought back the tears to think that she could ever want to rip this sweet girl's heart out… that she could want to kill her. She was grateful that it was dark so Snow couldn't see her face very clear, but she could see her smile. "Anything for you, dear."

Snow's nervous smile widened into a real one and she took her hand, starting to drag her back into their home. "Come on, Charming says he does some great dinners."

"Speaking of him… I hope it's clear where's he's going to sleep on. The couch."

She held back a chuckle to see Snow's pale face quickly becoming red. "Of course, Regina, I wouldn't think it otherwise."

There would be much to talk about with the new person living under her roof, but Rumple's words were still echoing in her head. It was going to be okay; Snow would always be safe, now it wasn't only her to make sure of that, but she hoped Charming too. She didn't know him a lot, but she knew how much he loved her… how much they loved each other.

She was happy for Snow, even if it was because of her that Cora knew about Daniel and killed him. Regina's eyes widened at that thought and shook her head; it wasn't Snow's fault, at all.

Cora destroyed her happiness. Snow was the only one now that made her happy. And she was going to make sure no one would destroy their happiness.


End file.
